New Delhi: India will host the prestigious FIDE Chess World Cup for the first time in 23 years from October 23 to November 27. The host city will be revealed in due course as per the announcement made by the sport’s global governing body FIDE, announced on Monday.
The event will see 206 players fighting for the coveted title. The top three finishers will earn the direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. India hosted the tournament last in 2002 in Hyderabad, where Viswanathan Anand won the title.
♟ FIDE World Cup 2025 to be hosted in 🇮🇳 India!
The prestigious FIDE World Cup is coming to India this year! Scheduled for October 30 to November 27, 2025, the tournament will feature the world’s best players battling for the coveted title and qualification spots in the 2026… pic.twitter.com/BWnpPGdfZX
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 21, 2025
Format of the tournament
The tournament will be played in a knockout format where the losing player in each round will be eliminated.
FIDE said, “The event has used several formats over the years, but since 2021, it has followed a single-elimination format. Each round spans three days: two classical games on the first two days, followed by tie-breaks on the third day, if necessary.”
Top 50 players will earn a bye in the first round while the players seeded from 51 to 206 compete in pairs based on the top halves draw.
D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi are among the stars who will grace the event with their presence. World Number One Magnus Carlsen has qualified for the tournament in the biennial event that he won in 2023.
India has recently hosted a few major events, including the 2022 Chess Olympiad, Tata Steel Chess India, the 2024 World Junior U20 Championships 2024 and the fifth leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in April this year.
In a press release, FIDE CEO said that they are thrilled to bring the event to India, a country with a deep-rooted passion and support for Chess. The passion among the Indian fans has always been remarkable. She also appreciated great interest in the event among the local chess lovers, both on-site and online.
